Most of the time, dental conditions do not require immediate medical attention and services. When a patient is in need of dental care, he usually needs to set an appointment with his dentist. However, in rare cases, an emergency dentist can make an exemption and provide treatments if necessary. Emergency dentistry is possible if your condition is so severe that treating your toothache is the only thing that will save you from this catastrophe.
Qualified Dental Emergencies
Some dental problems need to be addressed by an emergency dentist immediately because prolonging the condition can cause irreversible damages to the teeth. It might even require the patient to undergo invasive and expensive dental procedures which could have been avoided if their teeth were examined first hand.
Listed below are the conditions that need urgent dental care services:
- Agonizing pain. If the aching that you feel is causing you so many troubles and is way too unbearable for you to deal with, then it’s probably time for you to visit the clinic. The sting could indicate infection, but it can also be connected to other medical problems related to the ear and nasal tissues. This kind of pain can be relieved by painkillers but for a short period of time only.
- Broken teeth. Sports, physical activities, and workouts can ultimately lead to accidents and cause fractures in your teeth. Getting immediate dental care after the incident is important as you might lose the functions of the affected tooth if it’s left neglected for a long time. Be sure to bring the pieces of the broken tooth when you visit your emergency dentist.
- A stuck object in between teeth. It can be irritating when an object is stuck between your teeth especially if you’ve exerted efforts to have it removed. This is considered a dental emergency as you cannot put force in trying to remove the debris, you will be needing the help of a professional to safely remove it without damaging the nearby teeth.
- Damaged or lost dental restoration. In some cases, patients lose or damage their dental fillings or crowns. This is another circumstance that qualifies for emergency dentistry as it can also result in pain afterward.
- Bacterial infection. Sadly, some people do not consult a dentist when they have a toothache because they can handle the pain and have it relieved by painkillers. What they don’t know is that the pain that they are feeling could be due to bacterial infection. Delaying the treatment often results in crucial problems, thus requiring extensive dental procedures.
- Severe bleeding. Commonly, bleeding is caused by irritation in the gums, but it can also come from injury to the tongue, lips, and cheeks. If you notice bleeding in your mouth, you may opt to apply a cold compress in the affected area. But if it continues, visit your dentist promptly. There might be some injured areas in your mouth that need stitching.
Dental problems that do not hinder you from doing your day-to-day work are basically not qualified for emergency dentistry. If you are feeling little to no discomfort, it’s wiser to just call and set an appointment with the dentist.
But to make you feel more at ease, many general and family dentists are accepting walk-in clients and offer dental care practice even without appointments.